Calm Before The Storm

How homeowners can protect themselves from what nature may unleash

"It could puddle or pond and sag," he said.

Not motivated on storm preparations? The latter part of hurricane season, which is coming up, is more active than the early part.

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Being prepared

Here are a few more tips for homeowners from the experts:

Remove your unused TV antenna because it can be a conduit for lightning. If you're still using it, attach it to your home's grounding system.

Make sure the sump pump has a working battery backup. If power goes out, the pump will keep operating.

Consider whole-house electrical surge protectors, 100 times stronger than individual surge protection strips on selected electronics, home inspection officials say. BGE Home and other companies sell them.

Trim trees. Prune dead wood, limbs leaning over the house and branches that are too close, says Kelly Henry, zoning administrator for Worcester County.

Move and remove outdoor stuff. Keep outside items secured, lest a sudden storm float them away or make them into projectiles.

Ask your insurer about discounts as well as about more coverage before making improvements.

Get a professional home inspection every five years.

Helpful Web sites

floodsmart.gov, the National Flood Insurance Program site, is a starting place to help determine the flood risk of the address you put in and has other information.

www.mdinsurance.state.md.us, the Maryland Insurance Administration site, includes consumer and storm-preparedness information, and names of a few of the online estimators for what it would cost to reconstruct your house (companies charge for the service).

www.nhc.noaa.gov , the National Hurricane Center site, includes information on how to make plywood window coverings and brace garage doors against severe winds that can blow them in. A blow-in garage door can cause part of a house to collapse or burst.

disastersafety.org, the site for the Institute for Business & Home Safety, offers advice on preparing for severe weather. The organization is composed of insurers and reinsurers.

www.ashi.org , the site of the nonprofit American Society of Home Inspectors, displays a list of inspectors near you.